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Hamas, Israel agree to UN-backed ceasefire

The Palestinian resistance movement Hamas and Israel have agreed to a 12-hour truce brokered by the United Nations.

On Friday, the two sides accepted to implement the ceasefire which will begin at 7:00 a.m. (0400 GMT) on Saturday.

The temporary truce would reportedly allow the delivery of humanitarian aid into the besieged Gaza Strip.

Hamas has already said that any lasting ceasefire with Tel Aviv includes lifting of the Gaza siege along with the release of Palestinian prisoners.

Gaza has been blockaded since June 2007, a situation that has caused a decline in the standards of living, unprecedented levels of unemployment, and unrelenting poverty.

The apartheid regime of Israel denies about 1.8 million people in Gaza their basic rights, such as freedom of movement, jobs that pay proper wages, and adequate healthcare and education.

Israeli warplanes have been carrying out incessant airstrikes against the blockaded Gaza Strip since July 8. On July 17, thousands of Israeli soldiers launched a ground invasion into the densely-populated strip.